With or Without You
by Advance4ever
Summary: It's a happy time everywhere and many people are celebrating a yearly worldwide festival, except for two people, Ash and May. On the night of the celebration, the pair reminisce about their adventures and wonder if they will ever meet again, but what they will have to learn is to remain optimistic and strong. Bonds tied so tightly can never be broken. One-shot, during BW series.


**This story changes from Ash's POV to May's POV and vice versa constantly, so be prepared. I'll try to make this as easy as possible for you guys. Enjoy!**

**Ash's POV**

"You sure you don't want to come, Ash?" Iris asked the boy while Cilan stood next to her.

"There will be plenty of food," Cilan told the boy, hoping that would convince him.

"No guys, I'm fine, thank you," Ash smiled at them reassuringly.

"If you say so," Iris sighed and let the boy be.

Ash turned his attention to Pikachu, "Buddy, you can go and have fun too. You don't have to stick with me."

Pikachu looked into Ash's eyes and could tell that his friend wanted to be alone and nodded. "Pika pikachu," the mouse responded and climbed on Iris's shoulder, ready to go with his other two friends.

"Thanks guys," the raven-haired teen said to them as the three shook their heads while smiling and shut the door.

Ash let out a deep breath. He knew he was going to miss out on a great festival, but there were things more important going on in his head. The auburn-eyed teen went out to the balcony of the Pokémon Center and saw the locals of the town shooting multiple fireworks to celebrate a yearly festivity that went on worldwide. He took out half of a ribbon and stared into the ocean

* * *

**May's POV**

Somewhere, farther away from Unova, a girl was mirroring the boy's moves. "May, they'll be plenty of food down at the festival, are you certain that you don't want to come with Harley, Solidad, and me?" Drew asked May as he stood by the door.

"No Drew, I'm ok, but thanks for trying," May smiled at him while the boy sighed and nodded at her.

The green-haired coordinator closed the door to May's dorm and left the brunette alone. May walked over by the window and sat there, gazing at an ocean. The girl's sapphire eyes matched the color of the sea and the girl decided to take out the half of a ribbon she had in her pocket.

* * *

**Ash's POV**

May and Ash stared at the ocean, one was in Unova and one was in Johto. The two sighed as they kept on staring. They both held their ribbons tightly as they continued to gaze. Ash spoke, "May…" the boy thought of May, and remembered that it was the anniversary of the day they met, Ash had never forgotten it. This is why Ash decided to be alone tonight, so he could think about the person he realized that he was in love with. Sadly, it was too late when he figured it out and now, May was gone, and he mourned over his failure when he thought of his beloved while his eyes glistened.

_See the sapphires set in your eyes, see the thorn twist in your side, I wait for you_, Ash thought in his mind as he reminisced about May and his time with her. He remembered her sparkling sapphire eyes and how they shined through the good and bad times. Ash chuckled when he also recalled moments when they argued like when Oscar and Andi, first called them a couple, but those days were over now.

* * *

**May's POV**

"Ash…" was the only thing May could get out. She remembered the anniversary of the day they met, it never escaped her mind and she felt sadness inside her when that anniversary came. She regretted never confessing her feelings to him and realized that it was too late.

_Through the storm we reach the store_, May recalled the moments Ash and she pulled through a difficult situation, thoughts of Ash rescuing her, Manaphy, and Pikachu rushed through her mind while she stared at the water. _You give it all, but I want more and I'm waiting for you, _May continued think and remembered Ash as a persistent human being, who did his best to win something or help others like when he saved her from the Grass-type Pokémon in Hoenn. Regardless, that only made it worse for her because that only made her love him more, she wanted him more.

* * *

**Ash's POV**

"May, why did you go, why did I let you go?" Ash asked himself as he tightened his grip on the Terracotta Ribbon. _Sleight of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait, and I wait without you_, Ash felt a horrible ache inside him, he never expected May to leave so abruptly, he hadn't seen it coming, now all he felt was sadness and pain when he thought of the brunette. Ash felt like he should let go sometimes, continue his life without thinking of May, but he was too in love to drop it.

* * *

**May's POV**_  
_

_I can't live without you, my hands are tied, my body bruised_, May clutched the area of her heart and tightened her grip on the ribbon. She felt tears streaming down her cheek as she stared out the window. "He's gone, I can't do anything anymore. Why didn't I stay with him, we might have had something by now," May felt tears drip from her cheeks as she thought about how painful her life felt without him, without Ash. She may have won multiple contests and events in Johto, but it wasn't the same, Ash wasn't there to cheer and encourage her, he was gone. The feeling suffocated her, she started to cry even harder and tears dropped on the shiny Terracotta Ribbon.

* * *

**Ash's POV**

Ash felt tears stream down his cheek and drop down on the cement. He covered his eyes under the brim of his hat, "Maybe things might have been different if I had done something about it…,but now," _she's got me with nothing to win and nothing left to lose and you give yourself away_, the boy finished his remark in his mind. May left him with an empty heart, Ash felt like he could never love anyone else the way he loved May. It saddened him even more that she went to Johto with Drew, Harley, and Solidad. The boy always believed that they could travel together forever since they got along so well, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Ash felt his throat start to ache as more tears trickled down from his cheeks.

* * *

**May's POV**

The two began thinking though and stopped crying because of the thoughts in their heads. Suddenly, they remembered that they had to stay optimistic. May placed her ribbon on her heart and the girl smiled, "I hope you still remember and think of me Ash, wherever you are."

* * *

**Ash's POV**

"I pray for our sorrows to end and hope that our hearts can blend one day," Ash also placed his ribbon on his heart. His tears dried and he grinned, knowing that his wish would be granted, one day.

* * *

**May's POV**

"There are many regions out there; so many oceans, but they all share the same sky. One sky and one destiny, I know that we're both looking under the same sky, with the same desire. I hope that wish can be granted some day because I love you Ash Ketchum," May gazed at the night sky with a smile dancing across her face.

* * *

**Ash's POV**

"You're still in my heart May, you will never leave because you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I know that wherever you are, you know I'm with you in heart just like I know you're always with me inside my heart. We hold a part of each other and I know that when we reunite some day, we will put it together and make it a single piece because I love you," Ash spoke, knowing that May would never forget him and he would never forget her.

They are always with each other; distance can never break a love or bond as strong as the pair's. The hope they had stuck their connection tightly and assured them that they always had each other's backs in heart. May knew that Ash had her back, he was with her every step she took, he was with him in every move she made and she knew with that thought there was nothing she couldn't do. Ash also thought the same and the thoughts renewed the spirits and hopes inside them, they knew that one day they'd reunite and then they would finally put their feelings to rest.

For the rest of the night until their friends came back, the two just kept gazing at the horizon, thinking of each other...

**I hope you enjoyed the One-shot, not exactly light-hearted, but I feel like this is what happens behind the scenes, you know when Ash isn't focusing on a gym battle, stopping bad guys, or catching Pokemon. For anyone that figured it out or was curious about where I got the inspiration for this One-shot, it came from the song With or Without You by U2. This One-shot is my gift to you for the New Year and I wish you a great year, remember to review if you want. I will be posting up another chapter of Advanced Wishes in a week so till then guys! **


End file.
